thumb|right|External access point for [[fire sprinkler and dry standpipe at a building in San Francisco, US]]
thumb|upright|Antique wet standpipe preserved at [[Edison and Ford Winter Estates]]
A standpipe or riser is a type of rigid water piping which is built into multi-story buildings in a vertical position, or into bridges in a horizontal position, to which fire hoses can be connected, allowing manual application of water to the fire. Within the context of a building or bridge, a standpipe serves the same purpose as a fire hydrant. NFPA 14 - Standard for the Installation of Standpipe and Hose Systems regulates the design of standpipe system in the United States.
Dry standpipe
thumb|upright|Labeled dry standpipe outlet in a university building
Dry standpipe systems do not contain water in the piping during normal, non-firefighting situations. Water is only introduced when needed for firefighting purposes.
Manual Dry Standpipe System - A standpipe system that is not connected to a water supply and requires water to be pumped into the system via a fire department connection (FDC), often by a fire truck.
Class I
Class I standpipe systems are intended for use by firefighters, and consists of hose connections to accommodate the fire hoses used by fire departments.
Class I systems must be constructed with pipe, and at least in buildings with fire sprinkler systems to ensure adequate water supply during usage, and water pressure at the hose connection must be between .
- Structures that are 4 or more floors above ground level, or over above or below ground level.
- Structures allowed to contain more than 1,000 people.
- Shopping malls, both open and enclosed.
- Structures with stages larger than
- Underground structures
- Structures with rooftop heliports
- Marinas and boatyards
- Structures with landscaped roofs
Disadvantages
Because standpipe systems are infrastructure that is installed by third parties well before use in a fire situation, they are susceptible to age-related damage and improper intallation or maintenance that can hamper their use in an emergency situation. Further problems can arise when firefighters are not aware of the current status of the system.
During the One Meridian Plaza fire, firefighters were incapable of fighting the fire due to pressure reduction valves being improperly set too low, preventing fire hoses from operating correctly for the duration of the fire.
Two New York City firefighters died in the 2007 Deutsche Bank Building fire during its demolition. A factor that hampered extinguishing the fire was the standpipe system had been rendered inoperable during demolition and incorrect information from demolition workers regarding the status of the standpipe.
Firefighters must take precautions to flush the standpipe before use to clear out debris that could obstruct nozzles and hoses and ensure that water is available.
See also
- Fire sprinkler